Before you convert a volume to SMS management, you should simulate the conversion to ensure that all the data sets on the volume are eligible for conversion to SMS. In addition, simulating conversion shows you the classes ACS would assign to the data sets eligible for conversion.

You can simulate conversion by using the CONVERTV command with the SMS and TEST keywords. If the volume is ineligible for conversion, the data sets on the volume are still examined to determine their eligibility for conversion (provided the volume is permanently mounted and online).

When you use CONVERTV SMS TEST, you are in the ACS CONVERT environment. Only the storage class and management class ACS routines are executed. For a list of variables available to ACS routines during CONVERTV processing, see ACS variables available during RESTORE and CONVERTV processing.

Simulated conversion creates a report that identifies data sets ineligible for conversion. For a sample of this report, see SMS report. Note that this report indicates the management class and storage class that would be assigned to each data set. Careful analysis of this report allows you to determine if your ACS routines will assign appropriate classes to the data sets before doing the actual conversion.

Move data sets unsupported by SMS off the volume prior to actual conversion. Other data sets (for example, uncataloged data sets) can be made eligible for conversion by taking some action (for example, using the CATALOG keyword to catalog uncataloged data sets).

If you have ineligible data sets on a volume and you run the CONVERTV function with SMS, DFSMSdss still converts the eligible data sets on the volume. It then puts the volume in the INITIAL state. You must then take action to make the ineligible data sets eligible for conversion or move them off the volume. Once all the ineligible data sets are dealt with, you can run CONVERTV processing again to complete the conversion.